Author: Benedict Mcdaniel

Sydney will add 151 new battery-electric buses to its fleet after the New South Wales (NSW) Government placed a fresh order, bringing the total number of vehicles procured since March 2023 to 921. The vehicles will be manufactured by Australian companies including Custom Denning in Western Sydney and deployed to the Leichhardt and Kingsgrove depots, both of which are being converted for electric operations. The new purchase follows a 319-bus order placed earlier this year. At the time, authorities had said no additional contracts were expected until 2026, but the timeline has now been accelerated. The state’s Zero Emission Buses…

Stellantis  has paused plans to launch its first Level 3 advanced driver-assistance system, citing high costs, technical hurdles and limited consumer demand, according to people familiar with the matter. The program, part of its AutoDrive initiative, had been billed as a key pillar of the company’s software strategy. The automaker confirmed that the Level 3 system — unveiled in February as technology that would let drivers temporarily take their eyes off the road — was ready but has not been brought to market. “What was unveiled in February 2025 was L3 technology for which there is currently limited market demand,…

Tesla is facing dwindling Model Y availability across the United States as customers rush to complete purchases before the federal $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit expires at the end of September. Social media posts and Tesla’s official website show shrinking supplies in key regions. Around Austin, Texas, there were no new Model Y units listed within 200 miles, while in Beverly Hills, California’s 90210 zip code, only two vehicles were shown as available. Tesla’s website currently displays a banner warning buyers: “Limited Inventory – Take Delivery Now.” https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/1959813212733645176 The looming Sept. 30 deadline for the incentive, which reduces upfront costs…

The US government is preparing to end the $7,500 federal tax credit for new electric vehicles, a move that could reshape demand in the sector as buyers have until September 30 to qualify under the current rules. The subsidy, widely applied as a down payment on Tesla leases such as the Model Y, has been a central driver of EV adoption since its introduction under the Inflation Reduction Act. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently clarified that customers who complete purchase agreements before the September 30 deadline will still be eligible for the credit, even if vehicle delivery occurs later.…

Ford has set a new benchmark at Germany’s Nürburgring, with its 2,000-horsepower electric SuperVan 4.2 completing the 12.9-mile Nordschleife in 6 minutes 48.393 seconds, securing a spot among the circuit’s ten fastest laps ever recorded. The effort came just days after Chevrolet’s Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X made headlines by surpassing Ford’s Mustang GTD, though Ford opted to respond not with a supercar but with its purpose-built electric van. The lap was piloted by Le Mans-winning driver Romain Dumas, who has extensive experience at the circuit and previously set the outright Nürburgring EV record in 2019 in Volkswagen’s ID.R with a…

Tesla is facing a class-action lawsuit in California over missing roof-mounted LED light bars on its Cybertruck Foundation Series, according to court filings. The lawsuit contends that the automaker advertised a key off-road feature that many customers never received. The case was filed by plaintiff Eric Schwartz, who purchased a Tesla Cybertruck Cyberbeast in December 2023 and paid an additional $20,000 for the Foundation Series, which was promoted as including several upgrades, including the LED light bar positioned above the windshield. Schwartz alleges that his vehicle was delivered without the light bar and that repeated requests to Tesla for the…

Chinese automakers BYD and MG have sharply increased hybrid sales in Europe after the European Union imposed additional tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, Handelsblatt reported. The European Commission last year introduced extra levies on top of the standard 10% duty applied to all cars made in China, following an anti-subsidy investigation. As a result, BYD faced a 17.0% surcharge and MG’s parent SAIC 35.3%. According to figures from Dataforce cited by Handelsblatt, BYD registered around 20,000 plug-in hybrids in the EU in the first half of 2025, marking a 17,000% rise year on year. The company only began…

Tesla is preparing to roll out a major upgrade to the in-car graphics of its Model S and Model X vehicles, according to code findings revealed by a well-known hacker. “Tesla is adding Unreal Engine-based AP viz (the one you see today is Godot-based). The binaries are already shipping, starting from firmware 2025.20 only on AMD-based S and X cars for now,” hacker GreenTheOnly wrote in a post on X. He added that after some work, he managed to get the system running on the main infotainment display. https://twitter.com/IanSamyth/status/1953939119274701050 The update would mark a shift from Tesla’s current Godot-based graphics…

IM Motors, the electric vehicle unit of SAIC Motor, has begun pre-sales of an updated LS6 mid-to-large-size SUV, introducing extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) versions alongside its existing battery electric vehicle (BEV) lineup. The refreshed model is scheduled for an official launch on September 10. The latest LS6 measures 4,937 mm in length, 1,988 mm in width, and 1,671 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,960 mm. Two BEV configurations are available during pre-sales: the Pro, starting at RMB 209,900 ($29,230), and the Ultra, priced from RMB 279,900. The Pro variant uses a 76-kWh battery pack for a CLTC-rated range…

JAECOO UK has unveiled full pricing and specifications for the JAECOO E5, marking the company’s first all-electric model for the British market. The E5 is priced from £27,505 on-the-road (OTR) and aims to provide a compact, urban-focused alternative to the internal combustion engine JAECOO 5. The SUV features a 61.1 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery paired with a 207 PS electric motor delivering 288 Nm of torque, offering a WLTP range of up to 248 miles. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph takes 7.7 seconds. Charging can be completed via an 80 kW DC fast charger from 30% to 80% in…

Metier Technologies and MAHLE Powertrain will showcase a hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle at the CENEX Expo from September 3-4, 2025, in Bedfordshire, highlighting the conversion of existing diesel trucks to hydrogen fuel. The demonstration, based on a DAF LF220 platform, features a 6.7-litre, 6-cylinder engine adapted for hydrogen combustion, combining Metier’s hydrogen expertise with MAHLE’s advanced engine control technology. “This initiative proves that existing diesel trucks can be rapidly converted to hydrogen power, offering a commercially viable pathway to zero-emission transport,” said James Budgett, Managing Director of Metier Technologies. The system is designed to support longer duty cycles and heavier payloads,…

Hyundai Motor is running a special lease offer on its Ioniq 6 SE Standard Range electric vehicle (EV) in the United States, providing a monthly payment of $169 for 24 months. The deal, part of Hyundai’s efforts to make its electric models more accessible, is available until September 2, subject to availability and dealer participation. The lease package includes a $7,500 EV lease bonus and an additional $1,000 rebate for vehicles that have been in stock for more than 180 days, if leased by September 1. Customers taking advantage of the offer are required to provide a $3,830 capitalized cost…

Croatia’s State Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency will provide €21.2 million in subsidies to commercial buyers for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles, offering financial incentives of between €2,500 and €9,000 per vehicle or up to 40% of the vehicle’s price. Unlike neighbouring Slovenia, which recently introduced subsidies open to all electric vehicle buyers, Croatia’s programme is restricted to companies. The scheme also accommodates larger fleets, with a maximum subsidy cap of €90,000 per company. Eligible vehicles include electric and hydrogen-powered models, covering not only passenger cars and vans but also buses and trucks. For smaller vehicles in the…

British electric sportscar manufacturer Longbow has named three former automotive industry CEOs to its advisory board as it advances plans to produce its Featherweight Electric Vehicles (FEVs), the Speedster and Roadster, in 2026. The appointments signal Longbow’s commitment to leveraging top-tier expertise from the global automotive sector to support its development of lightweight, driver-focused vehicles. The new advisory board includes Mike Flewitt, former CEO of McLaren Automotive; Michael van der Sande, who previously led Tesla’s European launch and Alpine’s global relaunch; and Dan Balmer, with leadership experience in engineering, marketing, and commercial strategy at Lotus and Aston Martin. Collectively, the…

Citroen has begun taking orders in the UK for the new e-C3 Aircross Extended Range, which features a larger 54 kWh battery enabling a WLTP combined range of up to 249 miles. Prices start from £23,495 on the road after the UK’s £1,500 Electric Car Grant, positioning the compact SUV below the scheme’s price threshold. The Extended Range variant is available in PLUS and MAX trim levels and joins the Standard Range version, which has a 44 kWh battery and 188-mile range. Both models support DC rapid charging at up to 100 kW, enabling a 20% to 80% charge in…

Finnish electric vehicle charger manufacturer Kempower has become the first in its sector to approve and adopt CableGuard, a forensic anti-theft solution developed by UK-based Formula Space, for use in its charging stations across Britain, Ireland and continental Europe. CableGuard is designed to deter theft by encasing EV charging cables in a cut-resistant sleeve and adding a forensic marking system. If tampered with, the device releases a pressurised, UV-visible liquid that can be traced to offenders and surrounding objects. Formula Space says the technology has shown a 98% reduction in repeat attacks on marked infrastructure and a 100% conviction rate…

Australia may introduce a road tax for electric vehicles (EVs) as federal and state governments consider ways to offset declining fuel excise revenue, senior ministers said. The proposal, which would apply to EV drivers in the future, is under discussion ahead of next week’s federal productivity roundtable. Treasurer Jim Chalmers flagged the idea in June, saying he was working with states and territories “on the future of road-user charging” for EVs. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek told Seven’s Sunrise program the move could be justified as part of a broader effort to fund infrastructure. “I don’t think anything’s happening tomorrow, but…

Vay, a company developing automotive-grade remote driving technology, has partnered with charging solutions provider Bluedot to manage the charging needs of its fully electric, remotely driven vehicle fleet. The collaboration is designed to support Vay’s operational reliability and long-term goal of offering a sustainable alternative to private car ownership and ride-hailing. Bluedot’s platform will provide Vay with integrated charging infrastructure, real-time analytics, and intelligent controls to optimize fleet performance. The system supports both on-the-go and depot charging, while delivering vehicle-level energy data to monitor usage and costs. By enabling precise scheduling and location-based charging, the technology is expected to reduce…

Honda is re-evaluating its electric vehicle (EV) strategy, reducing its previously announced investment and stepping away from a target that would have made battery EVs 30% of its annual vehicle sales by 2030. The shift underscores the automaker’s belief that battery-electric vehicles are just one of several paths to achieving carbon neutrality. In 2023, the Japanese automaker committed 10 trillion yen ($68 billion) toward electrification. However, it slashed that investment by 30% earlier this year, aligning with other car manufacturers that have tempered their EV ambitions in response to market and infrastructure challenges. Honda still maintains its long-term objective of…

Kia is preparing to introduce a high-performance version of its midsize electric SUV, the EV5, with the GT variant expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2026. The upcoming model will follow the standard EV5’s global launch, which began in China and is set to expand to Europe, North America, South Korea, and other regions in the coming months. The EV5 has already made a notable impact in China since its market debut in 2023, helping Kia achieve its first quarterly profit in the country in eight years. This recovery came despite heightened competition from domestic electric vehicle manufacturers…